


Withered

by clownerydotcom



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:15:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clownerydotcom/pseuds/clownerydotcom
Summary: It's been years since the Happy Hungry Bunch and the Dark Dragon parted ways.Now Hakuryuu Kija has taken on the task to raise his successor, the one that will take his place within the blood bond, and Ryokuryuu Jaeha has made an oath to do it with him.
Relationships: Jae-Ha & Kija (Akatsuki no Yona), Jae-Ha/Kija (Akatsuki no Yona)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 20





	1. Dragon Sandwich

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time ever posting on ao3 °3°
> 
> Hopefully you don't hate it °3°
> 
> And thanks for reading ♡

—Daddy, daddy— a soft voice called —Daddy wake up— a sob —please— Jaeha opened his eyes as he feels someone pulling his pajama sleeve. It takes him a second to realize it was little Hana, Kija’s dragon successor, on the verge of tears calling for him.

—Hana? Is something wrong, dear? — He asked in the dark, voice groggy as it was the middle of the night. Her tiny dragon hand clutched his sleeve and her mouth had the saddest pout Jaeha had seen in his life.

—I can’t sleep— she replied in a tiny whisper —had a bad dream— and with that her voice cracked. She was as sensitive as his boyfriend and in both cases he hated seeing them hurt; even if it was because of a nightmare.

As he pulls her up on his lap, Kija stirred in his sleep, poor man too tired to hear them speak. It pained him to know this would become the usual as time passed by, to know they were slowly running out of time. But that’s how the dragon blood worked and there was nothing they could do about it. Instead of dwelling on it they’d decided to make sure Hana was raised surrounded by love so she could be a strong person once their powers and lives were consumed.

He wants him to rest as much as possible so he tries to deal with the situation on his own but apparently it was too late. Maybe Kija did hear them and was having a hard time coming back to his senses, maybe he was connected to Hana in a way he would only understand once his successor was born.

—Jaeha?— he calls him still half asleep as he sits up, human hand rubbing his eyes. Before he could answer, Hana launched herself towards him, both parents scrambling to try and catch her before she hurts herself in the dark. She lands on Kija’s lap though and immediately clings to his neck, seeking shelter in his arms.

—Hana? What’s wrong sweetheart, a bad dream again? — She nods as she tightens her embrace.

He reciprocates the hug and searches for his partner’s gaze to find him scowling and pouting. Seeing him get upset every time he felt excluded from hugs was something Kija would  _ never _ get tired of. It was always amusing remembering his distant facade of the old days, when being chased with affection was rather a nightmare.

As he wondered in those memories Hana looks to the side and catches her other dad’s pout, quickly realizing the reason behind it and giggling at him, only making him exaggerate his hurt. This time both white dragons laugh at him, and the next time Kija meets his eyes, he’s gifted with a soft smile.

Despite agreeing to not focus on the inevitable and put all their energy on Hana’s upbringing, he could see it.

He could see right through Kija’s positive façade. He could see his dark circles contrasting his bright smile. He could see his body become tired and fragile. He could see the dragon scales fading and giving in to a more human-like texture.

Jaeha’s smile grew weaker and his chest tightened every time he stopped to analyze his weakening demeanor and it was in those moments he felt fear crawl up his skin like the chains that held him down in his childhood. It was in those moments he  _ needed _ the comfort only his tiny family could provide.

Tears were flooding his eyes and before anyone noticed, before it was too late to stop the sobs clogging his throat, he pulls both white dragons to his chest and lays down, grip tight and firm around Kija’s back.

—Dragon sandwich! — Hana giggles, spreading her joy to her predecessors and snuggling in between them. Their smell; their voices; their hugs; everything about them made her feel safe of any monsters that attempted to haunt her.


	2. Nightmare

Ever since they'd adopted Hana, Yona had made sure one of them remained in Kuuto when she assigned them any task. Which meant spending a few days apart. They both appreciated her consideration but it always sucked a little spending so much time away from their family. Jaeha got incredibly sulky every time, hating the idea of wasting a second away from his two angels -although he would never say that outloud-.

The problem is that lately it's always him the one staying at home. Everyone, including Kija himself play it off as a natural thing since Hana is his successor; and while staying by her side and teach her what being the White Dragon means, it's not entirely true.

At first he only got exhausted after the bigger fights and the dizziness only bothered him slightly in the mornings. But as Hana grew older and stronger, getting out of bed became a hazardous task. Playing with his daughter ragged his breath and the lack of appetite only helped his energy to slip through his fingers. However, the worst part had to the nightmares. Those appeared for the first time when his hand started to lose its strength, and they only worsened as time passed and it proceeded to morph into a human-like appearance.

They all followed a similar sequence. He saw his brother dragons and his precious Hiryuu walking away with a now grown up Hana taking his place. They didn't realize he was missing, they never looked back. They simply smiled together as they always do and disappeared into the distance while Kija was left behind to wither in silence and on his own.

Every single time he wake up in the middle of the night covered in sweat, shivering and crying, his chest clenching in anguish. The bitterness that had clawed its way into his heart ever since he sensed his successor's existence spreading fast despite his efforts. He'd tried to push it down, to forget about it. Because Hana  _ is _ his daughter. And he loves her with his entire soul. She's an essential part of his life and the only source of light that pushes him forward every single day, especially when Jaeha was out. And yet, he couldn't get rid of the thorns twisting in his heart when the realization of what was happening hit him again.

Usually his partner would be by his side, always ready to comfort and reassure him in a heartbeat. His absence was what made these nights endless, the sobs and shivers becoming uncontrollable as his fears took over.

It was ridiculous, he  _ knew _ that. He  _ knew _ his family would never dismiss him like that. He  _ knew _ they were all as terrified as he was. He  _ knew _ they'd stay by his side until the very end, that they'd look after his beloved child in his place. He also knew watching him rott, being unable to do more than making sure they spend as much time together, was hurting them. 

And he  **_hated_ ** himself for that.

The guilt of being his family's source of pain had sent him down to his knees begging for their forgiveness more than once. And every time they'd cry with him, they'd stay by his side until the sobbing stopped, they'd hugged him and made sure he'd understand they loved him, that he wasn't being blamed.

And yet here he was. The once great Hakuryuu now felt so small, so insignificant he wishes the dragon blood he'd been so proud of didn't run through his veins.


	3. Cursed

How long has it been now? Probably a few decades. Both Hana and Taiyo -Shin Ah's successor- were fully grown dragons now. Only the Green Dragon and, of course, the Yellow Dragon, remained from the previous generation.

He'd heard that sometimes dragon generations remained incomplete. But did it really have to be him the one with no one to succeed him? It's not that he wanted to go through what the others did, because it was far from beautiful. And he certainly didn't want Zeno to be left behind again just yet. But not having a successor means he'll grow old, as any other human does; and that feels more like curse than a tempting promise.

He was still in love with freedom, with life. He still had genuine smiles. He still found joy within the last pieces of his family. And yet, ever since his passing, everything was slightly dull and quiet.

"Just how much longer 'til I see you again, angel?" He muttered, a hand on his grave. It was that time of the year again, in which Hana and Jaeha would go back to the Hakuryuu village to visit him in the mausoleum. This time Zeno and Taiyo had tagged along.

**______________**

  
  
It was a tradition for the White Dragons to spend their last moments in their hometown and to rest together with their predecessors.

The day they'd arrived with a crumbling Kija on Jaeha's back, they were received with understanding silence and led to his new bedroom -the same one his father had been locked up since the incident-. It had been only Jaeha and Hana staying there; the other dragons, Hak and Yoon staying in the castle by Yona's side until the time came. And when it did, the four of them knew it. Their blood bond always allowing them to keep tabs on each other.

It was devastating in many different ways. Hana, Yona, Yoon and Shin Ah had cried their hearts out; Zeno had stayed on the corner in silence, wrapped up in his memories, feeling some sort of redemption as this time he was there to say goodbye, and taking care of Taiyo, who was still a baby incapable of standing on his own feet; Hak had taken on the task of comforting the rest, postponing his own mourning until midnight when he was alone and let himself cry in solitude.

And for Jaeha… it felt like the world had come to a sudden halt. It was weird, because he was the one that saw every passing moment of this painful process.

He was perfectly aware of what was to come that morning, as Kija had made sure to tell him everything. How much he loved him, how he didn't mean to leave him alone, how he hoped that, at some point he could forgive him for his early departure.

And as much as Jaeha tried to laugh it off, to comfort him and convince him he was being dramatic, he also made sure to whisper his "I love you"s between kisses, to hug him and breathe in his smell. Because he understood it was his last opportunity to do so.

None of that helped. None of that made the deafening silence that followed any better; none of that made his bed feel any less empty; none of that gave the world the blinding brightness it used to have; none of that stopped the tears that fell in silence, without him really noticing them until Hana pointed them out and hugged him.

**______________**   
  


He was still standing in front of his gravestone, just staring at it. Perhaps waiting to be woken up from a long lived nightmare; waiting to wither and join him, wherever dragons go; maybe waiting for Kija to jump out from his hiding spot behind the stone, laugh and say it was all a joke.

He'd probably forgive him immediately if that meant they got to go back to the good times, that he got to run away with him from this dark, ugly room.

_Honestly, you should be resting under the sun, love._ He'd think every year when he came to visit.

He knew none of that would happen. Instead, he stayed there until both younger dragons and Zeno came looking for him. They were always hopeful he'd return on his own will, and they always realized Jaeha would never abandon Kija's side if he got the chance to make the choice.

"See ya soon, Kija dear" he said as usual, forcing a smile in hopes that would deceive his partner. Maybe he wouldn't worry as much that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was it! I wrote this a few weeks ago, a few friends read it and liked it so I decided maybe I should post it here °3°
> 
> Also, I wanna thank Saki cause she created and fed my jaeki brain cell until I got here :D


End file.
